During a multi-week government shutdown, President Trump's budget office, led by Russ Vought, is drastically restructuring the federal workforce, prioritizing military and deportation while slashing jobs in health, education, and other sectors, sparking legal challenges and Democratic outrage over what they call illegal actions.
As the government shutdown enters its third week, President Donald Trump's administration, through the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directed by Russ Vought, is implementing an unprecedented restructuring of the federal workforce. Vought, dubbed the 'grim reaper' by Trump and an architect of the conservative Project 2025 policy book, is exercising rare authority to decide which programs survive and which are cut, and who gets paid or fired. This differs significantly from previous shutdowns, as OMB is initiating 'reductions in force' rather than just furloughs, leading to over 4,100 layoffs and 750,000 furloughs. Trump explicitly stated that programs favored by Democrats are being targeted, with many potentially 'never going to come back.' While military and mass deportation initiatives remain largely uninterrupted, and the WIC program was saved using leftover tariff revenues, scores of other programs—including special education, after-school activities, and cyber infrastructure protection—are being shuttered. Democrats, like Sen. Chris Van Hollen, condemn these actions as 'illegal' and 'terrorizing' federal employees, vowing court challenges. House Speaker Mike Johnson, however, supports OMB's actions, challenging Democrats to 'bring it' in court, as Congress remains deadlocked over funding and expiring health care subsidies.
